West Brom will be fighting for their lives when Leicester City visit The Hawthorns on Saturday, and Matty James knows first-hand how dangerous that will make them as opponents.

James was part of the City side that pulled off the Great Escape three years ago, when City won seven of their final nine games to avoid relegation, having looked dead and buried at the foot of the table at one stage.

Alan Pardew’s men are in a similar situation now and, ironically, it is City who they face on Saturday as they bid to repeat that incredible feat of Nigel Pearson’s side.

James said memories of how City felt when they were in that predicament and how desperate they were for victories will ensure they will be prepared for a battle against the Baggies.

Matty James in action for Leicester City against West Brom during the Great Escape season (Image: Tony Marshall/Getty Images)

“We have a tough game now at West Brom, who are fighting for their lives and we know what that is like because we have been there,” said James.

“It is not an easy game. I know some people may think it will be, but we know we have to go there and try to upset the home fans early and get the fans on top of them, and take our chances.

“It is that time of year in terms of everyone is now fighting for something. The bottom teams need wins, and the teams in the middle want to avoid getting sucked into that, and we are pushing for a top finish.

“We just need to keep doing what we are doing, keep playing and try to take our chances early.”

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James admits the players have been frustrated in recent weeks as they have let points slip, especially on home soil.

City have picked up just three points from their past five games, courtesy of three consecutive home draws, and James said they must start to take the numerous chances they are creating.

“It is more frustration at the moment because we have created enough chances,” he said after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.

“You look at the Swansea game and we should have put that one to bed. Then Stoke and Bournemouth, those chances in the second half when the ball is just flashing across the box.

Riyad Mahrez and Matty James celebrating after the Algerian's goal against Watford in January (Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

“It is just that end product and the middle game. We are starting games well and we just need to maintain it.

“We had some bad fortune when Daniel Amartey went off injured and we changed the system, and we hadn’t really worked on that, so it was difficult. But you have to act on your feet and we changed it at half time back to something that was better for us.

“It has been frustrating, especially in the second half against Bournemouth, because we pinned them in the entire second half.

“We thought the equaliser may have come earlier because we had numerous chances. We put a lot of crosses into the box, the keeper has made a couple of good saves and a couple of decisions didn’t go our way.

“But we have shown our fighting spirit and what Leicester have always been about from the time I have been here.”